Hispanic population ‘crucial’ to US alcohol market

New research has revealed that Hispanic consumers are “crucial” to sustaining growth in the US alcohol industry.

Technomic researchers found that Hispanic consumers tend to spend more money on spirits and mixers outside of their homes

According to findings by US food and drinks industry analyst Technomic, the influence of the 33 million US Hispanics of legal drinking age “will expand rapidly”.

Analysts at Technomic’s Adult Beverage Resource Group have estimated that by 2015, Hispanic people will account for 15% of the total US LDA population, increasing to 25% by 2045.

“Hispanics are an extremely important demographic group for the adult beverage industry, and many of their preferences and purchase habits are different from the general population,” said Donna Hood Crecca, senior director at Technomic.

She continued: “They enjoy adult beverages frequently, but consume more drinks and spend more per occasion than the general population, whether at a restaurant or bar or at home.”

The study, which surveyed 845 Hispanics aged 21 and above, found that 60% of respondents consumed alcohol away from home per week.

In particular, the resource group found that young Hispanics, both male and female, favour Tequila, beer and red wine, and “buy [these drinks] in a broader range of retail outlets”.

Hispanic people were also found to spend an average of US$26.30 on spirits and mixers, including tax and tip, when drinking away from home, while the general population spends an average of US$16.70.

Technomic’s full report can be found at www.technomic.com.